Cambridge teachers want justice for 'bully' victims

By STUART DYE

Cambridge High principal Alison Annan has until the end of today to respond to the Education Review Office report that ultimately brought about the downfall of the school's management.

But her version of events will be delivered against a backdrop of anger from some former and present teachers who say they suffered insomnia, breakdowns and depression under the regime she led.

Mrs Annan, reinstated as principal in title only, has been in talks with the ERO about the report, says her lawyer, Nikki Rice. The deadline for her response is today.

It is understood the report, which included investigations into staff bullying and student safety, is highly critical.

An interim review report this month prompted Education Minister Trevor Mallard to sack the board of trustees.

That report said there was "a significant number of current and former staff who described trauma experienced in their interactions with members of the senior management team".

Mrs Annan had already left the school after a scathing report from the qualifications authority and in anticipation of another after an independent investigation by former judge Dame Augusta Wallace.

But she was reinstated to the payroll, with her resignation becoming effective on December 3, after a deal was struck under the guidance of the Employment Relations Authority.

The deal means that Dame Augusta's report is now unlikely to be released.

That decision has angered a group of former and present teachers, who say management at the Waikato school are escaping while victims of bullying have no justice.

Cherie Chapman, a former English and drama teacher at Cambridge, is leading a core band of 12 in calling for all reports to be made public.

She said she knew of 35 teachers who had been bullied out of the school over the past few years. They had been left with a variety of problems, including three with post-traumatic stress disorder, two who had emotional breakdowns, five who were taking sleeping pills or anti-depressants and one who had had a mental breakdown.

"People have lost jobs and had to shift their families and homes because of what they went through," said Ms Chapman, now a teacher at Ngaruawahia High School.

"The original purpose of Dame Augusta's report was to investigate workplace bullying. If there's no report, then how can justice be done?"

Ms Chapman - who said she resigned because of the bullying - and the support group have written to Mr Mallard demanding the report be made public.

Up to 70 teachers contributed to the report, detailing targeted bullying, including being undermined, regarded as incompetent and defamed by other staff members.

In her affidavit to the authority, Mrs Annan said Ms Chapman had worked part-time at the school and complained about bullying. She had then withdrawn the complaint and applied for a full-time position.

Ms Chapman told the Herald she felt she could handle the bullying, but it escalated after she was appointed.